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The Marigold Gift
Branches tore at Molepaw's face as he forced his way through a particularly dense part of undergrowth. He shrugged them off, spitting out a drop of blood that was starting to form on his tongue like a red puddle. He'd been up at dawn this morning. Mossycloud had given him the day off, and he knew exactly what he would do. It was past Sunhigh now, and he'd been looking for what seemed like moons. Ivypaw loved marigold. Molepaw wasn't exactly sure why, but she loved the way the flower looked. He'd seen it before in Beetlewing's herb store: a fluffy golden kind of flower, like a tiny sun. Molepaw had been up searching the entire territory for such a flower. And now he saw them. There was a patch of them clustered together, their petals bright splashes of gold and orange and red. They really were beautiful, in a patch like that. Molepaw drew closer to them, gazing in rapture at their colors. A single marigold flower in particular caught his attention. It had beautiful fire-red petals, lined with yellow coloring. A fat bumblebee drifted lazily away from it, somehow making the scene more spectacular. It looked almost fluffy with its golden and red colors. It was the perfect gift. Molepaw moved towards it in amazement, trying not to step on the other flowers. It grew near the center of the patch, and it turned its head to him in the faint breeze. "Oh," Molepaw breathed as he reached it. The stunning flower was even more beautiful up close, with rosy splashes mingling into its other colors. "It's perfect." The light brown tabby tom twisted his head and fastened his teeth in the stem of the flower. He plucked it gingerly, hearing the snapping sound that severed it from the ground. Raising his head high, Molepaw waded back through the patch of swaying flowers. The OakClan camp was some distance away. His first obstacle was the stream. An inviting trail of stepping stones led the way across, and Molepaw jumped onto the first one. The surface was slick with water, and he held out his tail as he struggled for balance. Then he leaped to the next rock. Then the next. When he sprang to the fourth, he landed awkwardly. His paws flew out from under him. He gasped and tumbled into the stream. Water was everywhere, confusing him for a moment. He kicked his paws and thrust himself up. He reached the surface in a burst of splashes. Molepaw was okay, and so was the marigold. The flower was soaked and drooping slightly, maybe not quite as fluffy looking as it had been, but it was still the perfect marigold. Molepaw swam to the bank and pulled himself out of the water. His slick pelt shed the wetness like duck's feathers, and after a few moments of lingering in the sunshine, he was loping off again. Soon the forest around him became even more familiar. There was the tree where he'd buried his first prey. Over there was the small pond he'd played in as a kit. That boulder marked the spot of the last time he'd seen Flashpaw. In mere moments he was at the camp again. The forest opened up into a clearing, random trees dotting the area. At the base of the Great Tree he could see Petalstar and Snowtail discussing something together. Nearby, Nightwhisker and Thrushtail were patiently trying to explain the correct technique for catching a bird to Pouncefall. Beetlewing rested outside her den, a few herbs laid out in front of her paws. Molepaw finally spotted Ivypaw crouched on top of a boulder. She was staring up at the sky. The tabby tom followed her gaze as he approached her, but saw nothing but clouds and treetops. "I brought you something," he greeted softly, setting the marigold down by his paws. Ivypaw tore her gaze away from the sky and looked at him. Her ivy green eyes looked empty and sad. "Hello," she mewed miserably. Molepaw rubbed her cheek with his, causing her to pull away slightly. "I found you a marigold," he encouraged. "You like those, don't you?" Ivypaw looked at the flower. His little offering was battered from his journey through the territory. It's colors had faded slightly with the water. Already it seemed to be drooping. Molepaw's heart fluttered with nervousness. What if he'd offended her? The flower was still perfect, but what if it still wasn't good enough for her? "I...love you," he managed quietly. "You're amazing, Ivypaw. I know we're only apprentices, but one day I'd love to spend the rest of my life with you. Anything you ask and I'll do it for you. Tell me to throw myself in the river and I will. Tell me to jump off the highest branches of the Great Tree, and I'll do it. Ask me to bring you all the prey in the forest and it will be done! Nothing would mean more to me than if you thought we could be together one day too." Ivypaw gazed into his eyes, and Molepaw looked pleadingly back at her. "No, Molepaw," she mewed softly. "I do love you. As a Clanmate. As a friend. Almost as a brother. But I could never be more than that to you. My heart belongs to Flashpaw." She tilted her head back to look at the sky. Molepaw gaped slightly at her, seeing her beautiful ivy-colored eyes glisten with wetness that he felt building in his own. "He's the one I love." "What about me?" Molepaw practically wailed, staring at Ivypaw in horror. "Flashpaw is dead, Ivypaw. You have to understand that. He's dead, and he's never coming back!" "He's alive!" Ivypaw cried back at him, leaping to her paws. "I can feel it! He's out there somewhere, alive, and he's going to come back to us!" "If he were alive he would have come back already!" snapped the tabby tom. "Face it, Ivypaw. He's gone." Molepaw's mew reached a choked, softened tone. "Please understand. I want to help you. I want to be with you. I'm every bit as good as Flashpaw." Ivypaw stared back at him, anger almost edging in her eyes and meow. "You'll never be as good as Flashpaw," she retorted. "If I can't have him, I won't have anyone. He's going to come back one day. He's worth waiting for." She spun around and disappeared inside the apprentices' den. The marigold flower lay trampled and broken on the ground. Once, it had been perfect and beautiful. Now it was destroyed. Molepaw felt that his heart had become the same way. Battered, bruised, and broken. Category:Warriors Fanfiction Category:Short-Stories